If you plan to order something expensive or valuable by mail, there’s always a chance that it won’t arrive at your home.
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Boxes and packaging may be one thing, but you may never actually see the cell phone, computer, or other tech gadget you buy for yourself.
Cell phones are often shipped to customers’ homes, but many retail stores of major telephone service providers have limited quantities in stock, so customers are choosing to have their phones shipped from their warehouses.
However, if you’re like some shoppers looking for the latest iPhone, your phone could be vulnerable to theft.
One such Verizon customer said he ordered the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which was released in September, but received an empty iPhone 14 box instead.
iPhone 16 Pro Max delivery failed
In a video with more than 64,000 views on TikTok, user Ana (@ana_almeida15_ on TikTok) says her phone delivery was stolen and the box was re-taped shut.
“A few days ago, I bought an iPhone 16 Pro Max from Verizon because I just wanted to upgrade,” she says in the video. “I’m so angry that I’m seriously going to try and do this video.”
Ana then shows off the delivery she received. “So this is how the package arrived. Everything was fine. You wouldn’t think anything had happened,” she says. “But when I look closer, I see that the original tape is messed up and there’s duct tape on top of the original tape. That’s not a good sign, so I’m already suspicious. I open the box. It There’s the receipt, the amount you paid, everything, there’s the wrapping paper, there’s the infamous phone call.”
She removes a phone box from a large shipping box and notices that it’s for a previous generation iPhone, and that the white plastic seal on the seam at the top of the box is still intact and someone has hinged it together. We showed you that you can open the box like this. .
He doesn’t know who stole his phone, but he does know when it was stolen because he received an authorization code from Verizon earlier that morning.
@ana_almeida15_ Whoever did this, count the days 🙂 I hope they find out exactly who stole it. #ups #stolenphone #verizon #fyp #iphone16 ♬ Original song – Anna Carolina
“This morning at 8:39 a.m. I received a verification code from Verizon. I thought it was my mom because we were on the same line,” she says. “I thought she was just trying to log in and see where it was. It was like that. I didn’t really think anything of it.”
Anna didn’t realize anything was wrong until she received her package.
“I wasn’t home, my stepfather was home, and the package was delivered at 11 a.m.,” she says. “Stepfather signed [for] He didn’t know what it was so he didn’t make a big deal about it. When I got home it was still there, it was my mother’s name, not my name, so I didn’t mess with it. When she got home, she opened it and saw this. Really disappointed. Whoever did this, count your days. ”
The phone has been reported as stolen, she said. That means the thief can’t take the phone to another carrier for service, and unless they want to get caught, it’s basically a worthless brick.
The Daily Dot reached out to Anna via a comment on TikTok, as well as to Verizon via email regarding the video.
What is Verizon’s policy on cell phone theft in transit?
Verizon recommends two strategies for dealing with a stolen cell phone or other device, depending on the circumstances of the loss.
For phones that were previously used but were stolen, cell phone companies recommend filing claims with Asurion, a technology insurance company with which Verizon partners to provide several forms of insurance. We also recommend temporarily suspending service to telephone lines to prevent fraudulent charges.
If your phone is stolen in transit, lost in transit, or not delivered within 48 hours of the delivery time, Verizon will not allow you to file a loss-in-transit claim. Recommended. As part of this process of filing a claim, customers can request a replacement device.
From there, the phone company will work with the service used to deliver the phone to investigate what happened.
Is mobile phone theft in transit on the rise?
Demand for new iPhones is so high that the theft of mobile devices in transit has increased significantly, and federal investigators are investigating the issue. According to a report from PC Mag, thieves are using FedEx tracking numbers to locate and steal valuable cell phones.
Authorities said the thieves would meet with delivery drivers at their homes to steal the technology.
Viewers also give their opinions
As several viewers pointed out in the comments section of the video, it’s unfortunately common for phones to be stolen this way.
“The exact same thing happened to me,” one commenter wrote. “I had to file a police report. Nothing happened at all.”
“The exact same thing happened when I ordered the iPhone 15 Pro Max!” said another. “After filing a police report and going back and forth with the phone company, it took two months to receive a refund.”
“Literally the exact same thing happened when I ordered from Verizon. They said I was furious because of how security handles scanning my phone,” a third person added Ta.
After this experience and seeing others go through it, several viewers shared that they started choosing to have their iPhones shipped for in-store pickup.
“Definitely ship it to the store even if you have to wait,” one person commented. “Unfortunately, even delivery drivers aren’t always reliable, so I always pick them up.”
“This is why I go to the store. Especially since I’ve heard so many stories of people sending their old phones back and getting them stolen too,” another poster wrote.
Another user said, “I canceled the delivery and ordered a pick-up because I was scared that something like that would happen to me.”
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